Ukrainian forces say they have destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 medium-range air defense system valued at around $45 million.
The strike was reportedly carried out by the “Black Forest” brigade at an undisclosed location, with video footage shared by the unit showing the system being targeted.
Modernized Soviet-Era System
The Buk family of air defense systems was first developed in the 1970s by the Soviet Union and has since undergone several major upgrades.
The Buk-M3, developed by Russian defense manufacturer Almaz-Antey, is the latest variant in the series.
Designed to engage aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles at medium range, the system can reportedly track and engage up to 36 targets simultaneously.
The Buk system gained international notoriety in 2014 when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
Ukraine has claimed the destruction of similar systems in past months.
In May, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said they eliminated a Buk-M3 in a front-line strike, and in September, the country’s military intelligence agency reported another successful attack on a Buk-M3 system in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
